The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-06-09
SPANISH Fnpr PARK

On the west side Of Bayou st. John, near the
shore Of the lake, was q house and garden. be-
longing, i think, to man named Milledon.
The garden contained a fine assortment of fruit,
which the guard at the bayou were permitted
TO eat at any time without pay, the only con-
dition being that they were expected to ask
for it like gentlemen. This place was of some
historical interest, for the reason that 1t was
the site of a fort built about hundred years
ago, while Louisiana belonged to Spain. A
part of the brick wall of the fort, but little
above the general level of the ground, was visi-
BILE in front of the house; and one or two of
the guns, honeycombed with rust, lay dis
mounted on the old parapet The place has
now become a popular pleasure resort, and is
known as Spanish Fort Park.
CURIOUS CHARACTERS.
Mounted Orderlies are not usually allowed to
the officers of a company of infantry, but our
company being on outpost duty five miles from
headquarters, they were considered necessary.
So four soldiers from n. Y. cavalry regiment
were detailed for that duty. Two of these men
were peculiar characters, but in different ways.
One was blue-blOoded POlander, whose name
Twill not undertake to spell, for fear OF exhaust
ing the printers stock Of cOnsonants, but it was
pronounced Zilouwitch. 1t was said that he
could converse easily in seven languages, VIZ:
Polish, Russian, German, Italian, Spanish,
French and English. The other, named Pat
Murphy, was sample Irishman, constantly
bubbling over either with fun or with whisky
sometimes with both. When his clay was well
moistened he was better than cheap circus to
amuse the boys. Pat, however, was not the
only lrishman who helped to make things in
teresting. While we were at Lakeport there
was wedding in an Irish family who lived on
the road to Bayou st. John; and in the even
ing, while celebrating the event, ayoung Irish
man, who was called Little Billy" stationed
himself in front of the house with bottle of
whisky in each pocket, saying, Everybody
that passes must drink or fight, begObs." For
the rest of the evening there was large smount
of travel on that road, but the New Orleans
papers the next day contained no account of
any fight in the vicinity of Lakeport.
AN EXPEDITION TO JACKSONVILLE.
Oct. 10, 1863, about 10 a. m, Capt. Brainerd
and % men started across the lake for Madi-
sonville, which is a mile or two from the lake,
on the Chefunctee River, in st. Tammany par
ish. The object Of the expedition was said to
be TO capture a man named Richards who lived
there, aud who was wanted at Gen. Bankss
headquarters. A man who was known to us
by the name of Lafont, professional gambler,
who at that time was probably adding to his
income by smuggling and by acting as a spy
for both Federals and Confederates, went rs
guide. Embracing on the schooner Gustavia,
the mouth of the Chefunctee about p. m,
when We were all ordered to go below and keep
perfectly quiet, except two men without coats
and wearing straw hats, who assisted Lafont in
working the vessel.
In about an hour we reached the wharf at
Madisonville, when Lafont suddenly disappear
ed below and we as suddenly rushed out and took
possession of the town. Guards were quickly
posted around the place. and the Captain COM
menced looking for his man; but he soon
learned that he bad moved to Pontchatoula, a
place on the Jackson Railroad about 20 miles
distant. The citizens at first were much
alarmed, but soon found that they were not go
ing TO be injured, and became quite sociable.
jacksonville at that time had about % or 80
houses, and, for Southern town, was neat,
pleasant-looking place-although it was tenn
porarily ruined by the war. Articles produced
in the vicinity were unsuitable at any price,
while flour was $50 a barrel in gold, shoes
$50 a pair, and other things in proportion.
When we re-embarked, about 8 p. M, the citi-
zens begged us 10 stay aud protect them against
| foraging parties of their own soldiers.
On our return we were accompanied By a
Confederate soldier who, though only 10 years
old, had belonged to a Louisiana battery from
the first of the war; and was captured at Port
Hudson. The Confederate authorities had
ordered the Port Hudson and Yicksburg paroled
| prisoners to return 10 duty
WITHOUT BEING EXCHANGED,
| and he, not wishing to violate his parole had
| been concealed for several weeks in the house
of friend in Madisonville watching for q
chance to escape into the Union lines, and, as il
may be imagined, was very glad to see our blue
uniforms We reached the mouth of the river
| about dark, and LafOnt again appeared on
deck, but by reason of light wind and heavy
| fog did not get TO Lakeport till considerably
/ past noon the next day. On approaching the
| wharf we were much astOnished to find il
| guarded by a strange sentinel and on landing
| we learned that our company had been relieved
| by a company of the 9th Conn. and ordered tC
rejoin the regiment. We packed up a:
hastily as possible, took the cars for New
Orleans reached there about dark and quar-
tered in building on Canal street near the
Henry Clay statue.
Our two months stay at Lakeport was de
cidedly a soft job. With the exception of the
guard duty which have described, there wa
but little TO do There was no drill, very lit
tie fatigue duty, and only the occasional in
| spections necessary to keep the company il
proper condition. Although tho weather wa
quite hot most of the time, the breeze from tn,
lake prevented it from causing us much incon
| venienee. The lake breeze was also benefit
by driving back the malaria from the swamp
near the town, so that while there the company
had but little sickness most of which wa
caused by malarial poisoning contracted Will
at Fort st. Philip. All enjoyed themselves
and most if not all, were sorry to leave; an,
TO this day, IL man of Co. L is asked wha
part of his service he looks backward to wit!
most pleasure, he will reply, "the time W